FERRE VIVIEN

A really enjoyable and chilled out afternoon. The kids (6 and 8) were well able to assist in the cycling. Suitable for all levels of fitness and was enjoyed by people of all ages and sizes. A great way to see the beautiful French countryside!!

14km ride on a converted rail truck along the tracks. Not a massive effort but did get a sweat on towards the end of the first leg as it was up a reasonable gradient. Lovely time with all the other riders. Was surprised to get a rousing cheer at the start /finish point. Well worth the efforts but be aware there are no toilet facilities at the halfway turn around point.

Not impressed. Kids smaller than 1.40m can’t cycle themselves, track surroundings fully between the trees. Our kids (4-6) asked us to never do this again.

Fantastic couple of hours cycle as a family. 14km split in 2. Not too hard work and beautiful views through the country side.

A great morning spent riding the rail's with the family. €27 for a little over 2 hours is great value.

Velo Rail is fun, unique and interesting for the whole family. We were a family of four, with 8 and 3 year olds. It was interesting at first but the novelty wore off and they got bored; and my wife and I were exhausted before after half the first leg of peddling. We reached the turning point, and most people ahead of us were already waiting, so we had little time for rest. For the second leg of the journey back, we decided to change tactics - what I call an "alternating 10 sec sprint between riders with a 20 sec sandwich rest" (if I could patent this technique, I would! It seem to work wonders on the leg back). The tactic basically involves each rider cycling hard for 10 seconds, then letting the velo bike run on momentum for 20 seconds, then the other rider rides hard for 10 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds, and this continues back with the other rider, etc. This method effectively gives each rider 30 seconds of rest in between, while maintaining the momentum of the vehicle. It will conserve energy and increase efficiency. We asked our children to be the coach/coordinator - to time/swap the three riding technique. This kept them occupied and motivated. Comparatively, for our first leg where we faced exhaustion, both riders were peddling furiously without efficiently sharing the workload and not necessarily going much faster. In short, be prepared for excitement, exhilaration and some exhaustion (if you have the right technique and method to manage the 11km journey). Otherwise, you may find yourself faced with a lot of unnecessary pain, perspiration and panting!

Magnificent experience! You must do this. You set off all "cars" at once spaced out a bit then turn round at the far end. It takes between 1.5 and 2 hours depending on how sportive you are!

Really good, good for children. Quite hard work at times. Although you can do it at your own pace. You have 2 hours to complete the round trip.